Renterias at the Fall Dinner Party

Bulls Bridge Appalachian Trail Hike

Using RunKeeper on my iPhone, I generated the following Google Map of our hike on the Appalachian Trail when we were in Connecticut. We covered about five miles in three hours.

2017 Fall Dinner Party Menu

Pirates of Carmichael

October 28, 2017

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Grand Caymen Conch Fritters
Castaway Cay Coconut Shrimp
~~~
Coconut Rum Grog

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Bahama Baby Back Ribs
Jamaican Cucumber Salad
Fried Plantains
~~~
2013 Donum
Russian River Pinot Noir

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Cancun Roast Chicken
With Aji Verde Chili Sauce
Ciltro Lime Rice
Green Beans
~~~
2015 Frank Family
Carneros Chardonnay

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Tortuga Jamaican
Blue Mountain Rum Cake
~~~
2013 Cave de Rasteau
Vin Doux Naturel

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2017 Fall Dinner Party

Sharon and I have made it a tradition to host a fall dinner party [2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003]. This year, the group included the Gainsleys, Larkins, Renterias, Sanborns, Janie and Liz.

Sharon and I have debated when we actually started holding a formal fall dinner party. Larkin reminded me during dinner that we had one that included his niece in 2000 at the Elk Grove house...

This year's theme was the Pirates of Carmichael. It revolved around Sharon and Janie's Caribbean Criuse. Everyone wore pirate costumes!

Janie made a great before dinner rum drink. Sharon made a very nice dinner of ribs and chicken. Everyone seemed to really like the chicken and the sauce. The menu is here.

After dinner, Tiber was barking on the deck. When I walked out to see what was going on, I realized that there was a large possum sitting the tree watching us!

Although we didn't show any videos, it was a late night. Liz and the Sanborns rolled a little before 11 pm, but the Larkins, Gainsleys and Renterias stayed until after midnight. By the time, Tiber and I walked them to the front gate and toured the neighborhood, it was after 1 am before we were in bed.

Sharon and Janie thought that the group was more subdued this year. I am not sure that I felt that way. We are all just getting older.

2012-2013 Kings Season

After averaging more than ten games a year since 1996,
I only saw one Kings game during the 2012-2013 season.
The Kings were 1 and 0 in games that I saw in person, including:

REGULAR SEASON

11/06/2012: Kings-94, Warriors-92 [1-0] - by myself Opening Night

2023-2024 Season [3-2]
2022-2023 Season [5-3]
2021-2022 Season [1-5]
2020-2021 Season [1-0]
2019-2020 Season [1-4]
2018-2019 Season [7-4]
2017-2018 Season [5-2]
2016-2107 Season [5-3]
2015-2016 Season [2-2]
2014-2015 Season [1-4]
2013-2014 season [3-2]
2012-2013 Season [1-0]
2011-2012 Season [3-2]
2010-2011 Season [3-6]
2009-2010 Season [4-7]
2008-2009 Season [2-7]
2007-2008 Season [7-7]
2006-2007 Season [5-9]
2005-2006 Season [8-8]
2004-2005 Season [10-4]
2003-2004 season [12-3]

Song for 2013

Sharon stumbled on the video of The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) shortly after it was released. She loved it. We showed the video after dinner at our 2013 Fall Dinner Party.

The song for 2013 is The Fox by Ylvis.

You can find the work in progress Soundtrack for My Life here!

Church Street Marketplace

Sharon and I had breakfast in the Church Street Marketplace during the second day of our F@ll 2017 trip through New England and then explored it again at lunch before heading east.

Church Street Marketplace
Vermont Roadside Historical Marker
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This marker is located at 36-2 Church Street, Burlington, Vermont. The GPS coordinates for this location are 44° 28' 49.4" N 73° 12' 45.7" W.

n 1962 architecture student Bill Truex experienced the transformation of Stroget, Copenhagen's main shopping area, from traffic-snarled nightmare to successful pedestrian mall. Seven years later, while on the Burlington Planning Commission, Truex enlisted support from Pat Robins of the Street Commission and together they promoted turning Church Street into a pedestrian district. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and his chief of staff, Paul Bruhn, secured a federal grant and Burlington voters, with support from Mayor Gordon Paquette, passed a bond for the city's share of construction costs. The Church Street Marketplace, which opened on September 15, 1981, has been described as the gem in the crown of the Queen City of Burlington.

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker

My book for October was The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker. I finished the book on the flight to Vermont at the beginning of our fall New England trip.

The reason that I ended up reading this book is a little different than usual. Sharon has joined a neighborhood book club this year. Chosen by one of the book club members, this is their book for November. On a flight to Burbank, I had finished a book and this was on my Kindle. I started reading the book and was hooked.

The book was written by a Swiss author. It has been coined Switzerland’s answer to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The original French version has sold more than one million copies and topped the bestseller lists in French-speaking countries.

Unlike The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it didn't feel like a translation. Additionally, it is set in a coastal New Hampshire town, rather than in a European city.

The book has a complex plot with a number of twists and turns. Other than to say that it revolves around a cold-case murder, I am not going to say any more about the plot.

I was pleasantly surprised by the book. I enjoyed it and recommend the book. I give it a solid "B" grade.

Rock Creek Park Hike

Using RunKeeper on my iPhone, I generated the following Google Map of our hike on Saturday morning when we were in Washington DC. We covered about 4.25 miles in an hour and 25 minutes.


The map from last year's Rock Creek Park hike from Parkway Deli down to Peirce Mill is here.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 12

We had breakfast in the concierge lounge at the Marriott. After getting cleaned up, we caught a cab to Georgetown University. We met Jack for the 9:30 am Mass in Gaston Hall in Healy Hall. I was surprised how few people there were; I remember it as being packed last year. After Mass, the three of us walked to the reception in the Healy Family Center for donuts and coffee.

At this point, we said goodbye. I am actually coming back in three weeks and then Jack will be home for Thanksgiving in a little more than four weeks.

Sharon and I had a leisurely walk back to the hotel along P Street. The Marine Corp Marathon was going on in Washington DC. A number of streets in and around Rock Creek Park were closed.

After getting the room packed up, we had lunch at Cafe Deluxe (steak and tuna cobb salads). We had a late check-out of the hotel for 2:30 pm. We took an Uber SUV, a very comfortable suburban, to Dulles.

We caught a 5:20 pm United Flight direct from Dulles to Sacramento. We were on the ground a little early about 8:15 pm. Sharon's nephew Eric picked us up and we were home about 9:30 pm.

It was a great trip. We covered eight states, including Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland plus the District of Columbia. There were a few things that I would have done differently. I will try to do a trip summary in the next month.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 11

We slept in. After a quick breakfast in the concierge lounge, I did 30 minutes on the treadmill to stretch my legs, while Sharon meditated.

The plan for morning was a hike along Rock Creek Park. Last year, on Friday of the Family Weekend, we hiked from the Parkway Deli to Peirce Mill. We walked from the hotel along M Street to Rock Creek Park and headed upstream. We hike 4.25 miles along the park in an hour and twenty-five minutes and like last year ended up at Peirce Mill. A map of the hike is here.

We caught an Uber back to the hotel. After getting cleaned up, we walked to Georgetown. Sharon wanted to stop at the Nike store to look at some shoes for Jack. Unfortunately, I led her astray and we headed up beyond the store and had to back track.

From there, we walked on to the Georgetown Campus to the tailgate party for the football and soccer games. Like last year, the food was actually pretty good.

Jack spent the loin's share of the day studying for two midterms on Wednesday. Catching up with him, the three of us decided to head to the National Galley of Art. We wandered through the Dutch, German and Italian galleries for about an hour and a half. Jack has a midterm in his Art History class on Wednesday that covers a number of pieces that we looked at...

Catching an Uber back to the hotel, we spent some time relaxing and visiting in the room. Eventually, we wandered to a late dinner at Don Lobo's Mexican Grill. Like last Sunday night, I ended up getting some upsetting information on the way to dinner and was very distracted. Sharon and I both had crab and shrimp enchiladas, while Jack had a taco salad.

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel. Jack took an Uber back to Georgetown University.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 10

When we were planning the trip, we spent some energy trying to figure out how to get from the Hidden Valley Bed & Breakfast in Connecticut to Washington DC for parent weekend. The flight and train options were expensive. By the time, you figured in dropping the rental car, catching the plane or train and then getting to the hotel, it would take almost as long as driving. We ended up deciding to drive the 320 miles.

Up at 6:00 am, we loaded up the car and were on the road before 6:45 am. Waze took us south across the northern tip of Manhattan, along the Jersey Turnpike past Philadelphia and through Baltimore. With two quick stops, it ended up taking about 6 hours and 45 minutes.

I dropped Sharon and the 130 pounds of luggage at the Georgetown Marriott. We are spending two night here on points. I then dropped the car at Hertz in the Washington Hilton. Less than a mile walk from the Georgetown Marriott, this worked out reasonably well as a place to drop the car. I would pick up or drop a Hertz car here again.

After I walked back to the Marriott, Sharon and I had a heavy snack at the bar. From there, we walked into Georgetown. Sharon did a little shopping on the way. Eventually, we got on to campus, picked up our parent weekend package and met up with Jack.

The three of us caught an Uber back to the Marriott and spent some time in the room visiting and catching up. After struggling socially his freshman year, Jack is settling to his sophomore year much better. He has a job with the Corp at Uncommon Grounds, has been working out with the climbing club and has joined the Knights of Columbus.

The three of us finished the night with dinner at Kaz Sushi Bistro. The food was fine, but nowhere as good as Mikuni's... Jack took an Uber back to campus.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 9

The plan for the day was a long hike along the Appalachian Trail. We had a communal breakfast at the Hidden Valley Bed & Breakfast with a couple from Missouri and an elderly couple and their Italian son-in-law. After the breakfast, we drove about 25 minutes east to Bulls Bridge.

It was a great hike. We covered about 5 miles in just under three hours. We hiked on the Appalachian Trail from the Bulls Bridge covered bridge to the top of Ten Mile Mountain and back. We were hiking right along the border between New York and Connecticut. If we had gone half a mile further, I think that we would have been in New York. I will post some maps in the next couple of weeks.

After the hike, we headed to Litchfield. Litchfield was the ending point of the Litchfield Hills Loop that we were following on Wednesday. We had lunch at the bar at the Village Restaurant.

After lunch, we walked around the town. Sharon got to explore a number of antique shops along the main street and we stopped and bought a bottle of wine.

Back in the car, we headed to New Preston. We had passed through this very small town on the way to the hike and she wanted to go back. There were a couple of more antique stores, including one that had the best selection of the type of pieces that she was looking for. Most of the pieces she liked are frankly out of our price range...

We headed back to the bed & breakfast. We spent some time on the back deck enjoying the view and having a class of wine.

Eventually, we got cleaned up for dinner. We finished the night with a late dinner at Arethusa al tavolo. I had Trio of Berkshire Pork (Tenderloin, Braised Bacon, Crepinette, Maple Glazed Carrots, Red Cabbage Gastrique), while Sharon had Roasted Mediterranean Sea Bass (Ratatouille, Chick Pea Cake, Citrus-Fennel Relish, Salsa Verde). When we sit down to look back on the trip, this dinner may be the best that we had!

Fall 2017 New England - Day 8

After a second night at the Birchwood Inn, we packed up, loaded the car and had a leisurely breakfast. We are continuing south. The plan for the day was another driving tour from the guide book. We followed the Litchfield Hills Loop.

We stopped in Norfolk. We walked through the beautiful Romanesque Revival library.

From there we headed to Lakeview. This area is home millionaires and movie stars such as Meryl Streep. Sharon saw a sign for a town called Sharon so we continued up the road. We stopped a took a number of pictures.

Getting back on path of the guide book tour, we stopped at the Limerick Race Track. Sharon wanted to stop there because Paul Newman had race there often. They actually let us in the facility and we drove around the infield and pit areas.

Driving through West Cornwall, we eventually stopped for lunch at the Fite N' Drum in Kent. From there we headed through Lake Waramaug to the Hidden Valley Inn. We got there about 2:00 pm, but the room wasn't ready yet.

Sharon wanted to visit antique stores as part of the trip. The town of Woodbury was billed as having over 30 dealerships and 20 stores along its historic main street. We headed there next. Unfortunately, the stores were spread over a couple of miles; they were not within walking distance. Additionally, some are closed. We ended up making five or six stops. It was a hassle from my perspective and somewhat of a bust from Sharon's perspective.

We ended up getting back to the Hidden Valley Bed & Breakfast about 4:00 pm. We are spending two nights. We unloaded the car and then took a bottle of wine and sat on the back den with our books. It is a great setting with a wonderful view of the valley. We have a very nice room: the blue master suite.

Originally, we were only going to spend one night. The next night we were going to head further south for one more night before the jump to Washington DC. After we booked the trip, the hotel for the last night was sold and we made a second night here. I am glad that we did...

We finished the night with dinner at at the White Horse Country Pub. I had Beef Stew and Sharon had a burger.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 7

When we were walking around Lennox on Monday, we passed an amazing Catholic Church (St. Ann) just a block from the inn. I persuaded everyone to get up early for the 7:00 am Mass. Much to Sharon's chagrin, the Mass turned out to be in the hall next to the church rather than in the church. We did find a side door open so we were at least able to walk through the church after Mass. Afterwards, Sharon, Tom and I had breakfast at the Birchwood Inn. It was a great spinach soufflé.

After breakfast, we made a quick stop at The Mount. This is Edith's Wharton's home. After some discussion, we decided not to wait until it opened and headed down the road.

The goal for the morning was the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. The museum exceeded my expectations. Rockwell's output was amazing. It includes an astonishing array of Saturday Evening Post covers, print advertisements, media promotional material (Stagecoach!) and portraits. I was particularly impressed with the portraits of Eisenhower, Nixon and Kennedy. They had a special exhibit contrasting Rockwell's works with Andy Warhol.

Given that Rockwell is viewed more as an illustrator than an artist, his works are not displayed at other museums. This is really the first chance that I have had to look at his art.

At this point, we parted ways with Tom. Both Sharon and I had thought that we were going to spend more time with Tom, but he seemed to be marching to a different drummer.

I have lamented in the past that we didn't have a guide book. This time we had Lonely Plant's New England's Best Trips. After parting ways with Tommy, we followed the Berkshire Back Roads trip.

We stopped in Stockbridge and walked around the town. From there we headed to Great Barrington. We parked and walked through the downtown. Based on a recommendation from the tour book, we did the river walk.

We continued winding our way through Monterey, Tryingham and Lee. We eventually stopped at Cranwell for a snack. Sharon had been talking about nachos for an hour. Amazingly, they had nachos!

Sharon had talked off and on about spending a couple of summer weeks in the Berkshires some day. Based on our driving tour, I was not impressed.

After a nap, we finished the night with dinner at the Wheatley Hotel. This will probably be our most upscale meal of the trip. We had the four course meal. I had Swordfish as the entree, while Sharon had Arctic Char.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 6

After last year's summer vacation that featured several long days of driving, we designed this trip with bit sized jumps on the travel days. After yesterday's two plus hour jump to Walpole, today featured another two plus hour jump to Lenox, Massachusetts.

Tom, Sharon and I had a leisurely breakfast with two other guests at the Inn at Valley Farm. The owner had a long soliloquy about the farm's operations.

Leaving the Inn late, Tom went on ahead. Sharon and I made stops at Alyson's Orchard and Burdick's Chocolates. We had a hot chocolate at Burdick's and then walked around Walpole a little.

Getting back in the car, we headed south. We took the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway west across Massachusetts. It was a beautiful drive. We stopped in Shelburne Falls. We walked through town, looked briefly at the glacial pot holes and walked across the Bridge of Flowers.

We took a very brief drive though Williams College before turning south towards Lenox. We are spending two nights at the Birchwood Inn in Lenox. Tom is spending one night here before he moves on.

After getting settled in the rooms, the three of us explored Lenox. We ended up at the Get Lit wine bar in The Bookstore. We had a couple of glasses of wine with the owner [Matthew].

We had dinner at Alta. Sharon had Coq Au Vin, Tom had trout and I had pasta with shrimp. Sharon was very disappointed in the meal.

The three of us finished the evening with dessert and coffee in the library at the Birchwood Inn.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 5

Up early, Sharon and I took off to hike the Crawford Path Trail. We hiked about 1.30 miles round trip in about an hour to Gibbs Falls and back.

Heading back to the hotel, we got cleaned up and packed up the room. Putting the luggage in the car, we had a buffet breakfast in the main dining room of the hotel. We spent almost exactly 48 hours at the hotel!

The plan for the day was to head South. We designed the vacation with about two hour jumps between stops. At breakfast, we decided to head to the Long Trail Brewery. This side trip took us about 30 minutes off Highway 91 through Woodstock, New Hampshire. Sharon really liked Woodstock; the Woodstock Inn and Resort is on the itinerary for a future trip.

From the Long Trail Brewery, we headed to Morgan and David's new house in Acworth. They bought a 19th century schoolhouse about two weeks ago. I really liked their new house. Sharon's brother Tom met up with us at Morgans. He will be traveling with us for the next two days.

After a brief stop, we headed to the Inn at Valley Farm. Tom, Sharon and I are spending one night here.

The three of us took off for an early dinner at Leslie's Tavern in Rockingham>. We met Morgan and David there for dinner. Sharon had Halibut, Tom and Morgan had lamb chops, David had surf and turf and I had salmon.

We had a very nice dinner that got sidetracked by some upsetting developments. Given that Morgan and I were together, we were able to piece together some puzzle pieces that had been bothering me since Saturday. This put a number of efforts in motion and put a damper on the evening...

Fall 2017 New England - Day 4

Up fairly early, we got coffee and bagels at the hotel. The plan for the day was to take the 9:30 am cog train to the top of Mount Washington. When I went to get coffee, I noticed that the top of the mountain was shrouded by clouds. It didn't get any better over the course of the day. Yesterday when we got to hotel, the top of the mountain was clear!

We got to the Mount Washington Cog Railway just before 9:00 am. The visibility got increasing bad as we went up the mountain. At the top, you could see about 50 yards and the wind was about 30 miles an hours. We spent a little over an hour at the top, including touring the museum. Although the museum was not worth the price of admission ($2), I was amazed by the stuffed fox.

As we went down the mountain, the visibility cleared up. We got some great views.

We headed back to the hotel for lunch. We had a great table outside at Stickney's. Sharon had a chopped salad, while I had a melted salmon sandwich.

After lunch, we headed to Crawford Notch State Park for a hike. We hiked the Sam Wiley trail to the Appalachian Trail. We then hiked back along the Westside Trail. This turned out to be a little bit of a mistake. While the trail was well marked, it was not well traveled or maintained. It was very slow going. We ended up hiking just under 3 miles in two hours.

Back at the car, we drove about 15 miles further up the road before heading back to the hotel. While we were told that the peak of the foliage was a week ago, the scenery was still amazing.

We finished the night with a late dinner at the Bretton Arms dining room. This was the best dinner we had on the trip so far. After splitting a Tempura Artichoke (Crispy Prosciutto, Charred Baby Bell Peppers, Vermont Goat Cheese Pesto), I had Misty Knoll Statler Chicken Breast (Guajillo Chili Roasted Chicken, Grilled Corn, Chorizo, Sweet Onions, Queso Fresco Grits, Chicken Jus), while Sharon had Herb Roasted Rack of Colorado Grass Fed Lamb (Crispy Potato Au Gratin, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Green Apple, Black Fig Demi Glace). For dessert, we had Maple Creme Brûlée. The chicken was very good; I never order chicken in a restaurant!

We went with their suggested wine pairing, including: Erath, Pinot Gris, Oregon with the starter; Jelly Jar, Old Vine Zinfandel, Nova Vineyard, Lake County, California with my entree; Mollydooker, The Boxer, Shiraz, Australia; and, Eden, Ice Cider, Heirloom Blend, Vermont with dessert.

Although we promised each other that we are going to check out the Cave speakeasy, we passed and crashed in the room...

Fall 2017 New England - Day 3

Up fairly early, we had got cleaned up and had a lackluster continental breakfast. After breakfast, we walked about half a mile to the Vermont State House. With a population of only slightly more than 7,000, Montpelier is the smallest state capital. The building exceeded my expectations; I enjoy the intersection of architecture, history and geography.

We rolled from the Inn about 9:45 am. We are heading east to New Hampshire. After some debate, we made a stop at the Cabot Creamery. We watched a short video, did a tour of the cheese plant and tasted a wide variety of cheese. We also stopped very briefly at the Goodrich Maple Farm.

We got to the Omni Mount Washington Hotel about 12:45 pm and were in the room by 1:00 pm. The view of Mount Washington and and the surrounding area is spectacular. We had lunch in the hotel at the Rosebrook Bar (chowder, chicken sandwich and crab roll). The view from our table was amazing. After exploring the property for a while, we did a 50 minute history tour of the hotel; there was just Sharon and I plus one other person with the docent.

We crashed in the room for awhile. Eventually, I took my book down, sat on the verdana and watched the sun go down.

We finished the night with a late dinner in the main dining room. We started with Tasso Ham and Crab Stuffed Oysters. We spilt a Signature Caesar salad. For entrees, Sharon had Maple Braised Beef Short Rib (Pappardelle Pasta, Roasted Mixed Mushrooms, Asparagus, Tomatoes, Spinach, Mozzarella Pearls, Toasted Pine Nuts, Red Wine Veal Reduction) and I had Georges Bank Scallops (Green Pea Purée, Artichoke Rice Cakes, Peppers, Spinach, Mango Pineapple Cipollini Relish, Cashew Crumbs). We walked through the Cave speakeasy before crashing for the night.

With this dinner, we celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary. This year, we picked out some presents ahead of time. Sharon got some David Yurman earrings to match the bracelet that I got her last year, while I got two Apple Watch bands.

Fall 2017 New England - Day 2

Not moving very fast, Sharon and I eventually got dressed and out for the morning. We walked the length of the Church Street Marketplace. The Church Street Marketplace Vermont Roadside Historic Marker is here. With very few places open, we eventually settled on a coffee and some scones at Uncommon Grounds. Jack is actually for a franchise of the same company on the Georgetown campus.

From there, we wandered down to the waterfront. The plan for the morning was a cruise on Lake Champlain on the Spirit of Ethan Allan. This exceed my expectations. The weather was nice. We got a great view of the city and the surrounding area. They did a nice job providing an overview, facts and history of the lakes and the area.

After a quick stop at the hotel, we had lunch at American Flatbread. We had a couple of lunch specials with the Evolution Salad and a couple of mini-flatbreads. We enjoyed sampling a number of beers from the Zero Gravity local brewery. During lunch, Sharon said "I could definitely live here."

With a late check out from the hotel, we walked back through the Church Street Marketplace. Although everything was closed when we walked through looking for breakfast, the area was crowded with people having lunch. Sharon made a quick stop in Macy's and then we headed back to pack up the room.

Leaving Burlington, we headed to Stowe. We are going to work our way east over the next couple of days. Parking in Stowe, we walked through the main part of town and then down to the Stowe Recreational Trail. We walked about two and a half miles out and back including parts of the Quiet Path.

We headed next to the Von Trapp Lodge. For the second time during the day, my expectations were exceeded. Given that we had taken a four hour Sound of Music tour last summer in Salzburg, it was a natural to stop at the lodge. I was impressed by the setting and the outside of the building. Sharon and I sat outside and enjoyed a couple of adult beverages.

Trying to get to Montpelier before dark, we continued east. We are spending one night at the Inn at Montpelier. We are staying in room one.

We finished the night with dinner at Kismet. We had a great meal of oysters, seared beef, halibut and polenta fries. Sharon judged the meal better than the first night!

Fall 2017 New England - Day 1

Up about 4:30 am, Sharon and I had her nephew Eric take us to the airport. We caught a United 7:45 am flight from Sacramento to Dulles. This was followed by a 5:20 pm flight from Dulles to Burlington, Vermont. Using a bushel of airline miles, Sharon upgraded us to first class on both legs. It was very nice; I could get used to flying first class...

We hit the ground in Burlington just after 7:00 pm, collected our luggage and picked up a Hertz rental car. We are spending one night at the Courtyard Burlington Harbor.

Sharon made a late dinner reservation for the Hen of the Woods. After some oysters, we had small plates including Grilled Octopus (Sunchokes, Scallions, Ginger), Hen of the Woods Mushroom Toast (House Bacon, Poached Farm Egg) and Ox Tail.

After a quick nightcap at the bar at the Courtyard, I finished the night watching game five of the Yankees versus the Indians American League Championship Series. The Yankees won by the score of 3 to 2 and eliminated Indians.

Song for 2011

Drew spent five years playing with Milo Greene. Although I had heard some of the rough cuts earlier, they launched in early 2011. Drew left the group in December of 2015. Along the way, they got an opportunity to play Letterman and I was there!

The song for 2011 is 1957 by Milo Greene.

While I worked out of Napa in 2015 and 2016, I would hear this song often while I was having breakfast in the concierge lounge!

You can find the work in progress Soundtrack for My Life here!

Sir Elton John will be playing “Blue Jean Baby”

Drew co-wrote, produced and released this song on his label (Dawson Records)!

Janie's Birthday

We celebrated Janie's Birthday on Saturday.

A picture of Janie and Sharon from Janie's birthday party fifteen years ago is here.

Celebrating Janie's Birthday

Sharon, Janie and I rolled from Janie's house about 10:20 am. The plan for the day was wine tasting in Sonoma and Napa Counties and Dinner in Yountville to celebrate Janie's birthday. Following Waze through Woodland and Winters, it took us about an hour and 45 minutes.

The first stop was Donum Estates. They were having their Harvest Festival and celebrating the opening of their new tasting room. Sharon has been a wine club member at this winery since we stopped with the Sanborns on the way to Sea Ranch earlier this year.

From there, we headed to Bouchaine Vineyards. Both Sharon and Janie are wine club members and had a shipment to pick up. Sharon has been a wine club member at this winery since we stopped here on Valentine's Day in 2010.

After a stop at Cabi at the Outlet Stores in Napa, we headed to Ad Hoc in Yountville for an early dinner. The menu included Arugula Salad, Roasted Pork Belly and Lamb Shank Ragu. A copy of the menu is included after the jump.

We got back to Janie's house about 9:10 pm. A long day...

To SoCal and back

Up at 4:00 am, I caught a 6:25 am Southwest flight from Sacramento to Burbank. I spent the day working in Glendale. At the end of the day, I caught a 4:00 pm Southwest flight that actually left at 4:20 pm back to Sacramento. I was home about 6:20 pm. A long day... It seems like every Southwest flight that I have taken out of SoCal this year has been running behind schedule.

Eric Frame - State Senate 2018

Bill Simmons Podcast - NBA Over/Under - Western Conference

In today's podcast, Bill Simmons is joined by Joe House, Jason Concepcion, and Kevin O'Connor to discuss the NBA Western Conference Over/Under Wins totals for the 2017-2018 season. At 27 1/2 wins, the Kings have the lowest over/under in the Western Conference. Last year, the Kings won 32 games. Everyone on the podcast loved the over. Watching the Kings rookies on Monday night, I also actually like the over. I have to figure out some way to bet on this in the next two weeks...

2015-2016 Kings Season

During the 2015-2016 Sacramento Kings season, the Kings
were 2 and 2 in games which I saw in person, including:

REGULAR SEASON

10/28/2015: Clippers-111, Kings-104 [0-1] - Larkin

01/09/2016: Warriors-128, Kings-116 [0-2] - Larkin, Tomasin, Mikey, Snipes, Keith

02/19/2016: Kings-116, Nuggets-110 [1-2] - Sharon

04/09/2016: Kings-114, Thunder-112 [2-2] - Larkin {last game at Sleep Train}

2023-2024 Season [3-2]
2022-2023 Season [5-3]
2021-2022 Season [1-5]
2020-2021 Season [1-0]
2019-2020 Season [1-4]
2018-2019 Season [7-4]
2017-2018 Season [5-2]
2016-2107 Season [5-3]
2015-2016 Season [2-2]
2014-2015 Season [1-4]
2013-2014 season [3-2]
2012-2013 Season [1-0]
2011-2012 Season [3-2]
2010-2011 Season [3-6]
2009-2010 Season [4-7]
2008-2009 Season [2-7]
2007-2008 Season [7-7]
2006-2007 Season [5-9]
2005-2006 Season [8-8]
2004-2005 Season [10-4]
2003-2004 season [12-3]

2017 Kings versus Spurs

Larkin and I went to the Sacramento Kings versus San Antonio Spurs preseason NBA game at Golden One Center. Holding on to a small lead for most of the game, the Kings won the game by the score of 106 to 100.

Frank Mason was the Kings leading scorer. Mason played four years at Kansas and was drafted 34th overall in the second round of the 2017 draft. Playing 22 minutes, he had 17 points on 5 for 10 from the field, 2 for 4 from three point range and 5 for 6 from the free throw line.

When he was in the game, I focused on watching De'Aaron Fox. In only 17 minutes, Fox had 16 points on 6 for 7 from the field and 2 for 3 from the free throw line. I was very impressed. I think that it is going to be hard to keep him off the court.

Looking at the box score after the game, I was surprised to see that LeMarcus Aldridge was the Spurs leading scorer. In only 15 minutes, he scored 17 points on 7 for 10 from the field, 1 for 2 from three and 2 for 3 from the free throw line.

Sharon and Janie were also at the game. Sharon got the tickets for her company's suite. We met them at halftime. Rather than returning to our seats, Larkin and I spent the second half standing at the top of the lower bowl behind section 117.

Larkin said that he didn't think that he had ever been to a preseason game before. I can find at least three times that I went to preseason game: once with Snipes (10/26/2006) and once with Jack (10/9/2007).

American River Canyon Hike

Ever since I started carry a Garmin to run, I have been fascinated by maps of runs and hikes. Using RunKeeper on my iPhone, I built a map of our hike in the American River Canyon on Saturday.

Larkin Ranch Hike

Almost four years ago, Sharon and I hiked with the Larkins and the Gainsley from the Larkin's property down into the canyon of the Middle Fork of the American River. At the time, I said that I would have loved to gone all the way down to the river.

Larkin and Cindy planned out a second hike for Saturday for the same group that dropped all the way to river. We left the Larkin's barn about 9:30 am. When we got to the river, there was actually a 50k from Foresthill to the Auburn Dam Overlook underway. The race was crossing the river at that point. We continued down river to Maine Bar for a leisurely lunch.

After lunch, we climbed out of the canyon. There were two pretty good hills: the Maine Bar Trail and the final section up to the Larkin's property. We stopped briefly at the memorial for Barbara Schooner.



In total, we covered 8.7 miles in six and a half hours. It was very nice hike. A map of the hike is here.

After the hike, we relaxed in the Larkin's pool house. We eventually cooked some steaks for dinner. It was late by the time we wandered home...

Serritella's

Finishing up a hectic week, Sharon and I had an early dinner at Serritella's. I had lasagna, while Sharon had veal.

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

My second book for September was Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie. This is the third book in a trilogy. I read the first book Ancillary Justice in November of 2014 and the second Ancillary Sword in May of 2016.

I finished the book on the flight to Burbank on Tuesday evening. I am now essentially reading everything on the Kindle app on my iPhone. While I have always viscerally loved the feel of real books, it is just too convenient to always have my book in my pocket.

Ancillary Mercy received the 2016 Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. It was also nominated for the 2016 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

As I have said before, I read science fiction partly because I love to see how authors play with ideas about technology. This book concluding the trilogy plays with some interesting ideas about artificial intelligence.

While I enjoyed the first book, I was surprised that it won so many awards. I found the second and third books in the trilogy very pedestrian. I generously give this book a "B-". With so many great books to read, I don't recommend it...

Back from SoCal

After spending the day working at the Glendale Hospital, I caught a 5:55 pm Southwest flight from Burbank back to Sacramento.

To Burbank

Traveling for work, I caught a 5:30 pm Southwest Flight from Sacramento to Burbank. In spite of having A37, i didn't get an exit row. I spent one night at the Courtyard Los Angeles Burbank Airport. While I usually try to have dinner with Drew when I go to SoCal, this was a quick trip planned at the last minute...

Jack's 2017 Fall Semester Classes

ACCT 102 - Accounting II

This course is designed to give you, as a manager in a non-accounting job, the fundamental vocabulary, concepts and procedures to work with management accountants in an informed way to answer questions like these: How effectively are my actions linked with corporate strategy? What activities of mine are differentiating and add value? What are my commodity activities that either destroy value or waste resources? How do I analyze the way a cost is accumulated to make sure it is relevant to a specific decision I must make? How do organizational control and incentive systems affect the motivation levels and actions of people who report to me?

In short, understanding the fundamental vocabulary, concepts and procedures of management accounting will help you
a. grow revenues and profits while planning and controlling related expenses
b. manage risks
c. understand, measure and drive performance

MGMT 201 - Management & Org Behavior

This course is a comprehensive overview of the management process and organizational behavior from a behavioral and social science perspective. Topics include: management across cultures; managing with ethics and social responsibility; fundamentals of organizing; organizational culture and design; leadership; motivation; communication; interpersonal skills; teamwork and group dynamics; goal-setting; alternative work arrangements; power and politics; conflict and negotiation; managing change; and management development. Emphasis is on the analysis and understanding of human behavior in organizations.

STRT 265 - Business-Govt Relations

The "Business and Government Relations" is an alternative to Business Law in satisfying the "legal and political environment of business" requirement. The course is designed to prepare you for the time when you, as a senior manager of a business firm, will find your business activities being partly determined by government policies. Over the course of the semester, you will learn the Skills: to analyze normative arguments about what government and corporate policies ought to be; to analyze positive arguments regarding claims made about the effects of government policies on business; to understand the how and why of government policy-making; and to learn to "forecast" changes in government policy. You will develop Substantive Knowledge: of political institutions, here and abroad; of the effects of differing government policies on national industrial organization; and of the effects of business on government, in the United States and abroad. You will Reflect: on the appropriate role of corporations in the democratic political process; and on how your civic obligations should affect you in your role as a manager. The course readings will compare American political and business institutions with those of other democratic capitalist countries.

THEO 011 - Intro to Biblical Literature

Introduction to Biblical Literature promotes the close reading of ancient texts, first on their own terms and then in relation to how they have been interpreted over time and may be interpreted today. As such, IBL teaches students to think critically about what a text is, and how it functions for those who value it. Learning to read texts in context challenges students to question the assumptions they bring to biblical texts and to enter into an adventure of discovery of the Bible, its origins and significance over time. IBL asks students to become “strangers in a strange land” as they confront the various “distances” they experience when reading biblical texts. Meeting unfamiliar language, cultures, customs, mores, and ideas requires that students suspend their judgment about what they think they know and asks them to learn how to expect the unexpected, as they delve deeper and deeper into biblical literature and the worlds from which it emerged. In this way, IBL can be a very liberating experience for students and lays a foundation that they can rely on in other courses they will take in during their undergraduate years.

ARTH 102 - Renaissance to Modern Art

This course surveys the major achievements in western pictorial art, sculpture and architecture from the early Renaissance to the twentieth century. Students will develop skills in analyzing and interpreting original works of art.

Fall 2016 Semester
Spring 2017 Semester
Fall 2017 Semester
Spring 2018 Semester
Fall 2018 Semester
Spring 2019 Semester
Fall 2019 Semester
Spring 2020 Semester

Rebecca L Frame Memorial Scottish Rules Bocce Ball Tournament

Sharon, Janie and I spent the afternoon at the 5th not-so-annual Bocce Ball tournament at Tom's house. More than 25 people showed up. There five initial flights, two semi-final matches and the finals. I made it into the semi-finals, but lost to Eric. Fittingly, Eric won the tournament.

At the Rebecca L Frame Memorial Scottish Rules Bocce Ball Tournament

A post shared by Mark Heringer (@heringermr) on Sep 25, 2017 at 5:58am PDT

The Guest and the Host - Best Friend

Arden Hills

Sharon and I had dinner in the restaurant at Arden Hills. We spilt a fig salad which Sharon wasn't crazy about and both had the burgers. The spin class instructor and her husband (Donna and Steve) came over to say hello. We spent part of the evening working on the October trip.

Song for 2010

There are a number of songs that are a staple on my running playlists. This is one of them. It is poignant because it makes me think about the people that have dropped out of my life due to death, life styles and geography.

The song for 2010 is If I Could See You One More Time by Marshall Tucker.

Other than Drew and Morgan, Marshall Tucker is the only band that has shown up twice in the Soundtrack for My Life so far.

You can find the work in progress Soundtrack for My Life here!

House of Cards - Season Five

Sharon and I finished the fifth season of House of Cards on the Friday of Labor Day weekend. We finished season one in October of 2016, season two in November of 2016, season three in April and season four in June. This season was originally released on May 30, 2017.

Season five follows the twisted events of Frank Underwood's (Kevin Spacey) reelection as President of the United States. The season ends with Frank's resignation as President. As Vice President, Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) then becomes President. The last episode closes with Claire staring towards the camera audience and coldly declaring: "My turn."

We have watched a lot of House of Cards over the last year. While I enjoyed season five, I don't think seasons four and five are as good as the first two seasons. I didn't like season three. Although I often felt like the storyline of season five jumped the shark, those feelings were tempered whenever I turned my attention to the real world...  Netflix has not yet announced a season six.

My Life 2013

In 2013, Sharon, Jack and I spent thirteen days in Hawaii, including the islands of Oahu, Kaui and Maui.

2013

All of the My Life Photos can be found here.

140,694 steps

Tapa the World

After a stop at Janie's house to pick up some clothes that Sharon ordered, we met Tom, Eric, Ashly, Kevin and Leah at Tapa the World. Tom wanted to go out for Spanish food in celebration of his and Eric's Camino journey last year. We had a number of small plates with a Paella Mixta for seven as the entree.

We wandered back to Tom's house afterwards for cake and coffee to celebrate Ashley's birthday. We watched most of the Emmys. I was surprised at the number of series that I was only vaguely aware of or had never heard of. With streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix joining all of the cable channels, there is an amazing proliferation of content.

Baby Driver

Saturday night, Sharon and I watched Baby Driver on the AppleTV. Although Sharon suggested it based on a recommendation from her hairdresser, it is a movie that I have been hearing good things about since the beginning of the summer. At one point, I was actually interested in seeing it in the theater..

Baby Driver is a 2017 crime action film written and directed by Edgar Wright. It stars Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx. The plot follows Baby (Elgort) as a young getaway driver and music lover who works for a kingpin (Spacey).

The movie is one long playlist. The music drives the film. I will probably end up buying the soundtrack.

Although the film jumps the shark a little in the last thirty minutes, I enjoyed it. Jon Hamm is very good. I recommend Baby Driver.

My Life 2007

Sharon, Jack and I spent a great week in Santa Fe in 2007.

2007

All of the My Life Photos can be found here.

BMW 530i

Almost three years ago, Sharon and I leased a car for her. It was the first time that we had ever leased a car. This month, we turned that car back. I am pleasantly surprised with the overall transaction. The only charges at the end of the lease were for some scratches on the rims. Although Sharon was toying with the idea of getting something else, Sharon felt in love with another BMW when she drove it and signed another three year lease on the spot!

Camino Island by John Grisham

My book for September was Camino Island by John Grisham. Somewhat unbelievably, this is the 31st book by John Grisham that I have read in the last twenty-five years. I am not sure that this is something that I should be proud of... It is the second of his books that I read this year and he has another book coming out in the fall.

Like The Whistler that I read earlier this year, it is not really a legal story. The two main characters are a book store owner and a young author. The plot revolves around the theft of some original manuscripts from Princeton University.

As I have said about a number of the recent Grishman books, it is not a bad book. It was a nice light change of pace. I will continue to read Grisham novels as filler between more ambitious books. They serve as a nice mindless break.

Eric Frame for State Senate

Sharon's nephew Eric is running for the State Senate.

Jury Duty

I spent Thursday afternoon, September 7 and all day Monday, September 11 serving on jury duty.

Seahawks versus Packers

Finishing up the Danny Hunter Wedding weekend, the Wallens came over to our house Sunday afternoon to watch the Seattle Seahawks play the Green Bay Packers. The game wasn't being broadcast on the networks in Northern California, but I have NFL League Pass.

The group included Wallen, Jill, Nate, Sam, Murphy, Madison, Beck and Tal. They are all big Seahawks fans; Wallen actually has Seahawks season tickets.

The Packers beat the Seahawks by the score of 17 to 9. It was a pretty ragged game. The Seahawks managed only three field goals. While Aaron Rodgers was 28 of 42 for 286 yards, Russell Wilson was 14 for 27 for only 135 yards.

Danny Hunter's Wedding

Saturday afternoon, Sharon and I went out to the Hunter Stallion Station for Danny Hunter's wedding. I would guess that there were about 160 people.

There was a nice group of the Davis Mafia, including Tomasins, Wallens, Chabriers and Snipes. The Wallens brought their whole family, including Nate, Sam, Madison, Becky and Tal. David and Chris Tomasin were also there.

I ended up sitting next to Tomasin at dinner. I always enjoy his company. It is hard to believe that it has been six years since the New Zealand tour. Rugby World Cup is in Japan in 2019...

Becky and Tal's wedding is next. It will be in February on the big island in Hawaii!

Dinner with the Wallens in Elk Grove

After work on Friday, Sharon and I headed to Elk Grove to catch up with the Wallens. With a number of people coming into town for Saturday's wedding, the Wallens rented a house for the weekend.

John, Jill, Nate, Sam, Murphy and Madison were there when we got there. Becky and Tal rolled up a couple of hours later. Murphy and Madison are both at a great age. Nate made butternut squash and pork tacos for dinner.

We had a very nice visit. It has been almost exactly 40 years since I met Wallen in an farm appraisal class at UC Davis.

My Life 2009

Jack spent a week playing in an eighty-six team tournament at Cooperstown.

2009

All of the My Life Photos can be found here.

Sheldon A Beitzel

I worked for Sheldon's dad George from 1980 through the early 1990s (1992?). I was working for George when he found out that Joan was pregnant with Sheldon.

Sheldon A Beitzel - September 23, 1981 - August 14, 2017

Sheldon Beitzel passed away on August 14, 2017 in San Francisco, California. He was born on September 23, 1981 and raised on the family ranch in Elk Grove California. He attended Pleasant Grove Elementary School, Joseph Kerr Middle School and one year at Elk Grove High School. He then transferred to the new Sheldon High School where he was the first graduating class of 2000. Sheldon was an avid swimmer and won numerous honors and awards for swimming and academics. He went on to attend college at Sonoma State University and obtained a degree in Business Management in 2005.

He moved to the San Francisco area to begin a sales career in risk management with Suhr Risk Services. He earned a CIC, CLCS, CWCA and CRIS designations and was promoted to senior vice president.

Sheldon had a passion for helping others and was selected to membership in the San Francisco Guardsmen. The Guardsmen are a well-known group of volunteers helping to improve the lives of Bay Area at risk youth. He also volunteered his time by serving on the board of directors for the Asian American Contractors Association and the non-profit group Asian Inc .

If you knew Sheldon, you knew he was always up for adventure and to socialize in one way or another. He really enjoyed travel and had just returned from a trip to Sweden and Iceland to visit a college friend. He has also traveled to Belize, Costa Rica, and Central Europe. Sheldon was a certified scuba diver and an avid target shooter. His light-hearted spirit and positive energy is what we will remember about Sheldon. He always had time to listen and truly cared about everyone around him.

He is survived by his parents, Joan and George Beitzel of Elk Grove, his brother Eric Beitzel, step sister Lily Beitzel, niece Titaree Faksorn also from Elk Grove, as well as his Uncle Paul Beitzel from Yountville and his other Uncle Don Postle from Sacramento. A small family celebration of life and burial will be held privately at Pleasant Grove School Cemetery. Donations may be made to the San Francisco Guardsmen. https://guardsmen.org/donate-now/ 1016 Lincoln Blvd Suite 205, San Francisco, CA 94129.

Cautionary Tale... [Right Knee]

Wrestling as a freshman in high school, I torn up my right knee. I was an obstinate kid with parents who were struggling with their own demons. I wouldn't let the doctor operate on me. It was probably one of the best decisions I ever made; they would have made a mess of it 45 years ago. I went on to play three more years of high school football and five years of very competitive rugby without too much trouble with my knee. I have always felt blessed by how well my body has held up over the years.

Nevertheless, every once in a while the right knee would give me problems. From a distance, Tomasin has speculated that I have a partially torn MCL. It bothered me for a couple of days in February. After doing our first spin class in a couple of months on Sunday, August 20, it started bothering me again. Rather than backing off a little, I pushed hard over the next six days to reach my weekly running mileage goal (30 miles). This included several 7 to 8 mile runs.

By the time we left for Washington DC at the end of the week, the knee was giving me more trouble than it had in a long, long time. I tried doing a light workout when we got back from DC, but only made it worse.

I shut myself down over the last week and have gotten the knee back to where it feels pretty good. [Note to self], the lesson learned is that I have to listen to my body and be more careful, particularly with my knee.

Dinner at the Sanborns

After spending the afternoon dragging the fall boxes out of the shed, Sharon and I went to the Sanborn's new house for dinner on Monday night. After hanging out in the pool and spa, we had a great dinner of Ahi, rice and asparagus. Sharon made a tomatoes and burrata cheese salad.

Wonder Woman

After a lap around Ancil Hoffman Park with Tiber, Sharon and I spent the loin's share of the day cleaning out the garage and taking a load to the dump. I am still hoping that some day we can get two cars in the garage!

Sunday night, Janie came over to test a cocktail for the fall dinner party. After dinner, the three of us watched Wonder Woman. Part of the DC Extended Universe, the film stars Chris Pine, Robin Wright and Gal Gadot.

I saw Robin Wright interviewed about the film on the Late Show with Steven Colbert when it was released. Wright talked about how much she had to train.

The film tells the story of Princess Diana [Gadot] growing up on the Amazon island of Themyscira. After American pilot Steve Trevor [Pine] crashes offshore of the island and is rescued by her, he tells the Amazons about the ongoing World War. Diana then leaves her home in order to end the conflict and becomes Wonder Woman in the process.

All three of us thought the movie was slow. Sharon said that it didn't live up to her expectations. I don't recommend it...

Notre Dame plus Baywatch

Saturday afternoon, Sharon and I went over to Tom's to watch the Notre Dame versus Temple. It was a small group that included Tom, Jim, Sharon and I. At half-time, the four of us watched to Jersey Mike's Sub for sandwiches. I had never heard of the place before...

On solid play on defense, three 100-yard rushers and first-time starter Brandon Wimpish throwing for a pair of touchdowns, Notre Dame thrashed Temple by the score of 49 to 16. Next week, The Irish host No. 15 Georgia. This is only the second meeting between the two schools. In the first meeting, the top-ranked Bulldogs beat No. 7 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl to win the 1980 national championship.

Looking for a movie to watch on Saturday night, Sharon and I settled on Baywatch. Based on the television series of the same name, film stars Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron It includes cameo appearances by David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson.

Sharon liked the movie more than I did. The best thing about the movie was it didn't take itself too seriously. I don't recommend the film.

To Carmel and Back

Leaving Carmichael about 7:05 am, I headed for Carmel. It took me about three hours and forty minutes with two quick stops. I am always surprised how long it takes to get to the Monterey Peninsula; it seems like it should be shorter.

The plan for the day was to meet Drew, Morgan and David for lunch at Flaherty's Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar at 11:30 am. Getting there early, I walked down to beach and back.

Unfortunately, things went awry. Drew got into some kind of kerfuffle with his mom about going to lunch with me. This spilled over into an argument between Drew and Morgan. The end result was that only Drew showed up for lunch. Drew and I had a nice lunch and visit.

Although I was philosophical about it with Drew during lunch, I was very disappointed not to see Morgan. I am deeply hurt that she wouldn't meet me for lunch. I had been really looking forward to see both of them.

It is hard for me to understand how there can be so much acrimony after more than twenty-five years. As Drew and I discussed at lunch, I can't imagine the running amok that is going to take place around the first wedding... I don't think that Drew's mother appreciates the secondary impacts of these kinds of trials and tribulations to Sharon and Nicki. The situation also caught me guard because I probably have come over to Carmel five times in the last ten plus years to have a meal with either Morgan or Morgan and Drew.

It took a little over four hours to wind my way home. Given it was the start of three day weekend, this was probably pretty good time. I was back in Carmichael a little after 5:00 pm. It was a long day with almost eight hours behind the wheel.